Good Different
by Reading Books at Midnight
Summary: When Clara showed up with her chopped short hair. Did the Doctor notice? One Shot. Twelve X Clara Reviews much appreciated!


Because he _must_ have reacted in some way!

Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Doctor Who universe.

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Clara shook her head to the right. Then to left. Then again to the right. Her hand reached up and nervously clutches the newly chopped hair.

"Do you like it?" asked the hairdresser, who was an alien by the way. Five eyes and seven hands. One of the best qualities a hairdresser can have. The whole ordeal took no more than an hour. That and with adding the softer light brown streaks. She thought it made a nice contrast with her dark chocolate hair. It looked like a bit of the stars' light was caught in her hair.

The Doctor had taken her to a planet somewhere along the Nimbus Nebula. They were known for their over the top fashion and ridiculous hair. People came from all over nearby galaxies just to see the parade that was done every year in honor of that year's fashion agenda. Clara had been feeling a bit daring and so she decided to change her look. It was a new year, so a new Clara was in order. The Doctor had found a technical shop thing, she supposed, where it held a missing piece to a watch he had been trying to repair. Clara had wandered into the nearest salon and was greeted by the hairdressers, who immediately took a liking to her vintage looking hair and decided to accentuate it for her without Clara even having to ask them.

And so, one hour later, the sheet around her neck was whipped off and she was swirled in her seat to face her reflection.

"I…" she began. "I love it!"

Her hair was sleeker. Softer looking and even softer to the touch. The light brown highlights made her eyes even bigger than they were. _The Doctor will have a field day with that_ , she thought. Her hair was healthier and fuller than it had been in months and she really used to take care of her hair. With all those herbal treatments and organic stuff back home. But it had never been this glow-y. She sniffed. It smelled fantastic too!

"Ah yes. We used a bit of our local flowers that we grow here. They're grown especially to be used in shampoos and hair products. It will stay for a couple of weeks or so. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all." said Clara, clutching the nape of her neck. "Thank you very much. You really are talented. It's beautiful. What makes it shiny?"

"Didamino eggs. Crushed into little powder. The shine will also stay for a while."

Eggs, Clara shuddered banishing that information to the cobweb part of her brain.

She rummaged through her bag taking out her purse. The Doctor had given her some strange looking money to pay for whatever she needed.

"How much?" she asked.

The hairdresser, swooshed her bright purple hair to the side, eyes blinking everywhere.

"No, my dear. Free of charge. We don't get a lot of vintage here. It was my pleasure working on such old hair."

Clara nodded, not sure whether to take it as a compliment or not.

"Thank you again."

She left the shop, swinging her purse around her shoulder. The streets were busy with the upcoming parade. So many were in costumes and little kids shrieking with laughter running past her.

She located the shop the Doctor went through and heard him before she saw him.

"I have been to the Jursem Constellation. I know the difference between a wire that stings and one that burns. That is a rubbish piece you are selling. I'll give you ten destins for it."

The shopkeeper looked at the Doctor in surprise and accepted his offer.

"If it's rubbish why'd you buy it?" Clara called from behind.

The Doctor pocketed the rubbish wire and spun around. His eyes take her in before he has a chance to explain.

"There's something different about you." he said holding up a finger.

Clara tapped her fingers against her chin.

"Hmmm, I wonder what it could be." she said in mock confusion.

"Hold on. Don't tell me."

He looked at her from head to toe for several minutes. Clara gave him an exasperated look.

"We haven't got all day Doctor. Besides that funny smell from that weird looking bowl is starting to give me a stomachache."

She opened the door and strides out with the Doctor at her heels.

"Did you inflate your eyes?" he asked.

She rolls said eyes. How dense could he be? A flutter in the TARDIS he can hear, but a changed hairstyle? No, it was a bit too much for him.

"No. I did _not_ inflate my eyes."

"But they're bigger. Or is it your height? Have you gotten smaller?"

Clara gave him a death look and he fell silent.

They had parked the TARDIS right outside the marketplace.

"I can't believe you don't see it. Or even try to make the connections between where we are and what I did." she said walking through the doors.

She slinked around the console and The Doctor followed her with his gaze.

"For the first time, you can't put two and two together." Clara laughed. "We are on a planet that's famous for their eccentric fashion and _HAIR_ styles."

His eyes widen with recognition.

"Your hair. You have new hair now! What happened to the old one?"

"It got chopped off."

"Wasn't working well, was it?"

"What on earth are you saying? It was perfectly fine."

"Then why change it?"

"Because I felt like it."

"That's a strange thing to feel like doing."

"No, it isn't."

"You look all different now. I can't even recognize you."

"Now you know how I felt when you changed."

Long silence.

"Touché." He said finally.

Clara fidgeted around the console, pressing random numbers.

"But… is it good different or bad different?" she said hesitantly.

The Doctor looked her right in the eye, his tone dropping a baritone.

"Good different. Always good different with you, Clara Oswald."

He stepped closer and peers down at her. Reaching out, he threaded his fingers between the stray hair falling at her cheek.

She drew in a breath that if he weren't close he wouldn't have heard it. Her eyes met his nervously and she was taken aback with the intensity of their gaze.

Time seemed to stand still as he brushed her hair and she couldn't help but stand mesmerized, enjoying the feeling of his fingers in her hair.

"What is that smell?" he whispered. "It's intoxicating."

Clara fluttered her eyes.

"That would be…" she cleared her throat, swishing away the hazy thoughts. "That would be my shampoo. They put this shampoo thing made of… local flowers."

He dropped his head near her ear, and she couldn't help but gasp. The Doctor drew in a long breath, tickling her neck.

Somehow her hand ended up behind his neck, holding on to him.

Breathing became one of the hardest things she ever had to do.

"Doctor?" she asked.

"What is it?"

"What are you doing?"

And just like that the spell was broken. In one second, he was suddenly standing three feet away from her before she had time to realize what just happened.

His back was to her, shoulders hunched all. Completely unreadable.

He pushed his hand through his own hair and turns around to her having regained his composure.

"It was nothing. I'm sorry."

And with that he strides past her into the corridor with his coat going swish.

Clara clutched her heart that wouldn't stop beating. She leaned against railway.

"What is happening?" she asked the TARDIS.

But she gets no reply

.


End file.
